1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a four bar hinge utilized to mount a vehicle rear deck lid on a vehicle body for movement between open and closed positions with respect to a generally upwardly oriented rear trunk opening that is defined in a generally horizontally extending rear outer skin of the vehicle body.
2. Background Art
Vehicle body rear trunk openings are conventionally opened and closed by rear deck lids that are mounted by hinges for movement between open and closed positions. One type of hinge that is utilized to support deck lids for movement between the open and closed positions is a gooseneck hinge such as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,930 Ihrke et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,333 Saville, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,619 Lewkowski et al. Such gooseneck hinges have previously included threaded adjusters for adjusting the position of the deck lid in the closed position so as to be flush with the generally horizontally extending rear deck outer skin of the vehicle body so that there is no abrupt discontinuity at the junction between the deck lid and the rear deck outer skin.
Vehicle rear deck lids have also been mounted by four bar hinges that include a pair of hinge members for respectively mounting on the vehicle body and on the deck lid with a pair of connection members having opposite ends respectively pivotally connected to the pair of hinge members to provide a four bar linkage that controls the opening and closing deck lid movement. One type of such four bar hinge as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,829 Schoen et al. has one hinge member constructed with a vertical orientation having vertical slots that receive vehicle mounted threaded fasteners so that upward and downward movement and subsequent fastener tightening permits hinge adjustment for maintaining the deck lid flush with the rear deck outer skin in the closed position. Another type of four bar hinge has the vehicle body hinge member provided with a horizontal construction that is mounted on a generally horizontally extending vehicle body member and secured by fasteners with shims providing the proper elevation so as to maintain a flush condition of the deck lid with the rear deck outer skin of the vehicle body.
Other hinges noted during an investigation conducted for the present invention are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,061 Franco and U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,011 Green et al.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved four bar hinge for mounting a vehicle rear deck lid on a vehicle body for movement between open and closed positions with respect to a generally upwardly oriented rear trunk opening defined in a generally horizontally extending rear deck outer skin of the vehicle body.
In carrying out the above object, the four bar hinge of the invention includes a first hinge member for mounting on the vehicle body and a second hinge member for mounting on the deck lid. One of the hinge members includes an adjuster having an adjuster member that has a pivotal connection to the one hinge member, and the adjuster includes a threaded connection that extends between the adjuster member and the one hinge member to adjustably move the adjuster member vertically. A first connection member of the hinge has opposite ends including respective pivotal connections to the first and second hinge members. A second connection member of the hinge has opposite ends one of which has a pivotal connection to the adjuster member of the one hinge member and the other of which has a pivotal connection to the other hinge member to cooperate with the first connection member and the first and second hinge members in providing a four bar linkage that supports the deck lid for movement between the open and closed positions. The adjuster member of the adjuster is adjustable vertically by the threaded connection upon assembly to move the deck lid vertically so as to be flush with the rear deck outer skin.
In the preferred construction of the vehicle rear deck lid four bar hinge, the one hinge member including the adjuster is the first hinge member that is mounted on the vehicle body. The adjuster member includes a first end where the pivotal connection of the adjuster member mounts the adjuster member on the vehicle body mounted first hinge member, and the adjuster member has a second end at which the one end of the second connection member has its pivotal connection to the adjuster member. The threaded connection of the adjuster extends between the first hinge member and the adjuster member at a location between the ends thereof to vertically position the adjuster member.
In the preferred construction, the adjuster member extends forwardly with respect to the vehicle body from its first pivotally mounted end to its second end that is pivotally connected to the second connection member. The adjuster member includes a vertically extending flange that defines the first and second ends, and the adjuster includes a horizontally extending flange that extends from the vertically extending flange and at which the threaded connection is connected to the adjuster member between its first and second ends.
The threaded connection of the adjuster includes a threaded stud that projects upwardly from the first hinge member and also includes a threaded nut that is rotatable on the horizontally extending flange of the adjuster member. The threaded nut threadingly receives the threaded stud such that nut rotation vertically adjusts the adjuster member and the deck lid.
In the preferred construction, the first hinge member as mentioned above is the one having the adjuster and includes a horizontal flange for mounting thereof on the vehicle body as well as including a vertical flange. The pivotal connection of the first connection member to the first hinge member is at the vertical flange of the first hinge member, and the adjuster member includes a pivotal connection to the vertical flange of the first hinge member. The second hinge member includes a horizontal flange for mounting the deck lid as well as including a vertical flange at which the first and second connection members have their pivotal connections to the second hinge member.
The adjuster member as mentioned above includes a horizontal flange and a vertical flange that extends downwardly from the horizontal flange. The pivotal connection of the adjuster member to the vertical flange of the first hinge member is at the vertical flange of the adjuster member, and the previously mentioned threaded connection extends between the horizontal flange of the first hinge member and the horizontal flange of the adjuster member to provide threaded adjusting of the adjuster member so as to move the deck lid flush with the rear deck outer skin. Furthermore, the vertical flange of the adjuster member has opposite ends at which are respectively located the pivotal connection to the vertical flange of the first hinge member and the pivotal connection to the second connection member.